A Most Revealing Photograph
by Archaic Angel
Summary: While going through Sirius's old belongings, Remus Lupin finds a photograph that forces him to recall a memory and discover a truth he hadn't believed existed. OneShot RLSB


**A Most Revealing Photograph**

by Archaic Angel

**Summary: **While going through Sirius's old belongings, Remus Lupin finds a photograph that forces him to recall a memory and discover a truth he hadn't believed existed. -One-Shot- RL/SB

**Disclaimer: **I'm just a poor Sophomore, I own nothing at all so please don't sue me.

He was going through Sirius's old school trunk, the one he had left behind at Grimmauld Place when he fled his childhood home. Just looking through their old textbooks, with Sirius's characteristic witty comments on the context scribbled in the margins. They had even had some arguments in pen and ink on some of them, playful banter scribbled back and forth between Sirius him and James; sometimes Peter would even join in. It nearly brought tears to Remus Lupin's eyes as he read them, reminders of a happier time.

Buried under all of the school books, supplies, and robes was a small stack of pictures. Eager, smiling faces beamed up from the many images They were all from a time when they were still innocent, and didn't know the horrors that would await them in the outside world. He was immediately drawn to the pictures of Sirius, his handsome face a far cry from the Sirius that he had known in the recent years. The Sirius in the pictures was happy, laughing in many of them, and very unlike the gaunt and morose post-Azkaban Sirius. There were also a multitude of pictures that featured himself alone, much more than any of the other Marauders. Remus just assumed that it was coincidental and not due to any conscious effort on Sirius's part.

One in particular of himself drew his attention, it resembled a Muggle Polaroid with it's characteristic white border replaced with a pink one. The strange thing about it was that it was decorated with hearts and little cupids with gold ribbons trailing behind them. He recognized it immediately as coming from a camera that Lily had purchased in Diagon Alley from a joke shop the summer before their fourth year. Remus remembered that train trip well, the story having been told and retold many times by a proud James. He told them the tale every chance he got, he had even told it at his wedding to Lily; saying it was the first time he knew that Lily loved him.

In James's retellings she was showing a pink and fuzzy camera off to all of her friends in their compartment on the Hogwarts Express, bragging about how her parents had given it to her for a back to school present and telling them how it worked.

"I bought it in Garglio's," proclaimed Lily, proudly as she held up the bright pink camera for everyone to see. "It's called a Crush Camera,"

"What does it do?" James asked, throwing open the compartment door and leaning languidly against one side of the frame. "Crush people? Because then I want to borrow it to use on some Slytherins, namely Snivellus,"

"No, Potter," she had replied coarsely, drawing it closer to her to protect it. "You take a picture of someone with it and instead of showing the person it shows their secret crush,"

"That's a waste of money," he remarked, reaching over and grabbing it from her arms; running back towards the Marauder's compartment with it. "And it's mine now,"

"Potter, come back with that," she shrieked, dashing out of the compartment and chasing him down the train. "You'd better give that back or I'll hex you,"

"You couldn't hex your way out of a paper bag, Evans," he declared, turning around and taking her picture. "Now let's see who _your_ secret crush is," he wheeled back around and continued running, with Lily hot on his heels.

"I guess you're lucky that you're not a paper bag then," Lily yelled, running as fast as she could (knocking over several scared first years in the process) after James but she never got within a yard of him.

"I'll just take this in here," he said, sliding into our compartment and closing the door behind him. He used his body to keep her from getting in as he pulled the picture he had taken of Lily from the camera and stuck it in the back pocket of his jeans after shaking it a couple of times. "Sirius," said James, tauntingly; causing him to look up from the summer Potions essay he was doing at the last minute.

When Sirius looked up, James stuck the camera in his face and took a picture; momentarily blinding him. He complained for the rest of the trip about how he was seeing spots because of it. "What'd you do that for?" he asked, raising his hand to his eyes and rubbing them in an effort to make the stubborn spots go away.

"Here," James tossed the still developing picture into Sirius's lap. "When it develops it'll show your secret crush," he grinned. "Can't wait to see who it is,"

"That's a bunch of codswallop," he muttered, throwing it into his open trunk. "Like a camera can tell you who you're in love with,"

"It's not for you to know, it's for the rest of us to know," said James, disappointed that Sirius wasn't going to share the photo with them. He pulled the photo he had taken from Lily out of his pocket while still keeping the door shut to keep her out as she pounded on it. "Well, look at this," he examined it to find himself within the shockingly pink frame. "It's me," James stuck it out for everyone else to see. "Lily has a crush on me," he declared dreamily as he stepped away from the door, causing the girl in question to burst into the compartment and grab the camera from his hand.

"James Potter, what were you thinking?" she asked in a commanding tone of voice.

"You have a crush on me," he said, grinning madly. "Little Miss Perfect has a crush on _me_,"

"I do not," Lily protested, grabbing the picture from his hand as well to look at it. "You probably just took a picture of yourself,"

"If I took a picture of myself it would show a picture of my secret crush," he retorted.

"Exactly," she said as she turned to leave the compartment. "You're in love with yourself,"

"I resent that statement," James shouted into the hallway after her, a grin still on his face.

James had taken a picture of Sirius and that was it. There was no chance it was someone else that had a crush on him, the picture would show only Sirius's secret crush. That secret crush was him, Sirius Black had a crush on Remus Lupin. It was maddening, to think that the man he loved had the same feelings about him and neither of them had acted on it all of these years.

That night Remus Lupin cried himself to sleep, thinking of all the lost opportunities.


End file.
